


Friends in Bravvos

by sansakatara



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anti Alysanne Targaryen, Anti Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Because they are overrated as fuck, Book: Fire and Blood, Female Friendships, House Targaryen, Jaehaerys was a terrible father, Justice for Viserra, Plot-Holes What Plot-Holes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:02:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28763001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansakatara/pseuds/sansakatara
Summary: It might never have happened at all, if she hadn’t always felt a little lonely.
Relationships: Alysanne Targaryen/Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Alysanne Targaryen/Original Character(s), Alyssa Targaryen/Baelon Targaryen, Jaehaerys I Targaryen/Original Characters, Jocelyn Baratheon/Aemon Targaryen (Son of Jaehaerys I)
Kudos: 10





	Friends in Bravvos

I.

It might never have happened at all, if she hadn’t always felt a little lonely.

It wasn’t fair. It was not as though Helaena lacked for siblings, being the tenth-born. But by the time she is born Aegon and Daenerys are long dead, the would-be heir and the beloved first daughter; who did not live long enough to fall short in their parents’ eyes. The others- Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, Maegelle, Vaegon, and Daella are men and women grown by the time Helaena is a maiden flowered at twelve. They led their own lives, and had as custom decreed married appropriately to preserve their Valyrian bloodline – Baelon to Alyssa and Aemon to their half-aunt, Jocelyn. Maegelle and Vaegon took vows too, but not to each other. Maegelle became a Septa, and Vaegon had chosen life at the Citadel. Little Daella, as Jaehaera had always thought of her, for her small stature and fragile but loving spirit, might have had a happy life as Lady of the Eyrie, but Daella is dead. The same as Alyssa and Viserra. The former had none of Daella’s timidness but in the end both sisters met their end in the birthing bed. Of her siblings, Helaena had been the closest in age to Viserra, but it still felt like there was a world between them. Helaena always felt a little imitated by Viserra. She was hardly the loving older sister in the way Maegelle or Daella or even Alyssa at times, but Helaena had trailed after her as a little girl all the same, hoping to win her favour. Viserra could sometimes be as cruel-tongued as she was beautiful, but she had been her sister, and it was remembering the way Viserra would sometimes allow her to come into bed, or occasionally indulged her in a game, or told her a wicked joke, that Helaena wanted to remember.

Or it might not have happened if she hadn’t been always a bit careless. Forgetful, absentminded. She was always misplacing things. Perhaps if she had been better, she would have remembered to take the moon tea. She had once misplaced a book of Vaegon’s, and he had stopped talking to her for a month. Her Maester had told her she needed to be more careful with her work, but honestly what was the point, when she is neither the heir or the oldest daughter? She is a princess. A Targaryen. She might be the tenth-born, and not as brave as Alyssa or beautiful as Viserra or bright and diplomatic as Maegelle but she is the blood of the dragon. Targaryens were special. They weren’t like other men – because the gods had deemed only them fit to mount dragons. Such a power was the very reason Jaehaera was a princess. Her great-grandfather hadn’t simply asked nicely to have control of the seven kingdoms; which back then truly was seven kingdoms. It was part of the reason why she couldn’t understand at times why Maegelle wanted to be something as ordinary as a Septa.

Perhaps it was just always meant to happen.

II.

It was her maid who noticed the suspicious curve of her stomach as she prepared Helaena for her bath, and thus went to the queen. Alysanne comes to her, white-faced and grips Helaena by the arm. “Please, Helaena.” Her voice is tight, almost as if she is crunching on broken glass. “Please, tell me you have not laid with a man.”

Helaena wrenches free. “I have not laid with anyone.” She hates the tremor in her voice. But she is frightened. She remembers Viserra, and even Viserra hadn’t done what she had. Helaena wants her mother to take her into her arms and whisper that it will be all right. Had Viserra secretly hoped for the same thing, that their mother would tell her she did not except her to go through the match with Theomore Manderly?

Alysanne shakes her head. “You and I both know that is not the truth.” “You did not ask for the truth. You wanted me to tell you that I am a maiden still. So, I did.” _Viserra was always truthful about wanting to be a queen._

III.

Her father’s anger is a storm. “Helaena, do you realize what you’ve done? If this gets out- do you understand what it will mean for you, in terms of getting a match?”

King Jaehaerys is breathing heavily, his arms crossed. Even afraid, Helaena wants to laugh. “I’m the tenth-born. I’m so far down the succession line I might as well not be in it at all. What match were you going to get me, Father? Were you going to marry me to lords who already had children of their own like Viserra and Daella? At least Alyssa’s children would have been their own heirs.”

Her mother, who is standing beside him flinches at the vehemence in Helaena’s voice. Her father’s mouth remains a tight line. “Your match was mine and your mother’s concern, girl.” He sighs. “There is only one thing to be done.” “You will be sent to a mother-house to have the child.” It is her mother who speaks, gentle and soft, as if they think it will be easier for Halaena to hear this from her. “Once you have given birth, if the child lives, arrangements will be made for them. If you have a girl, she will be promised to the Faith. If a boy, he will be sent to the Citadel.”

“Will I be able to write to them? Visit them?” Helaena whispers. “It is my wish that you do so, but your father….” “It is better that you do not.” Jaehaerys interrupts.

“Why?” Helaena wails. “First you decide my child’s future- what if they don’t want to be a bloody Septa, or a Maester? But now I can’t – I can’t…” Helaena is crying, and she furiously wipes her tears away. She had promised herself she would not cry. “Your child is a bastard and will count themselves fortunate to have stability.” Jaehaerys snaps. Then, his voice softens. “If they do not take to the Faith or the Citadel, I promise that other arrangements will be made to make sure they are taken care of. As for you, you will be married to someone I deem appropriate.”

 _Appropriate._ What they had thought appropriate for Viserra was an old Northern lord who had already lost four wives in childbed.

IV.

Of all the septas at the Mother-House in Old-town, only Septa Alerie was different. Septa Alerie was once Alerie of House Rosebud. She even looks rosy, with bright red cheeks and a rosebud mouth. When Helaena had first arrived, she had refused to speak to anyone. The other septas had said nothing, perhaps thinking that she needed to be alone in her thoughts. Septa Alerie is unperturbed though and happily chatters away.

“I was promised to the Faith, like many other girls.” She says, while Helaena pretends not to listen. “You see, my older brother almost drowned as a boy, and it happened to be our Septa who saved him. My mother was so grateful she promised herself that she would give one of her children to the Seven when the time came. And well, because I was the third-born, it came down to me. Leo was the heir and it is easier to find matches for an elder daughter than a second-born.” If Alerie feels any sense of resentment over this, she does not show it. By all accounts, she seems happy enough. Maybe Helaena’s daughter will be the same. Perhaps Helaena is being stupid.

Over time, Alerie breaks down the wall Helaena has carefully built. “I don’t want to give away my baby.” She whispers tearfully to Alerie. Alerie bites her lip, and turns away. There is a sad, far-away look on her face; as if she remembering something, she wishes she didn’t. “It will be all right. You will have other children.” Alerie tries to assure her, but her voice is doubtful.

“I don’t want some stupid old lord’s children! I want the child I already have!” She is sobbing, now.

“I don’t want my child to not know who I am.”

V.

Her despair must have touched Alerie so deeply that when her sister visits them, she gives Helaena hope. “My sister was wed to wealthy lord, and she has a generous heart.” She tells the princess. “For the years I have been here, she has sent me some gold each month. I’ve been using it to help the Mother-House and our services for the small-folk. My sister and I have talked, and we have decided to give you some gold, and send you to some trusted friends in Bravvos.”

Helaena’s heart flutters, but she is still afraid. “But if my father finds out…”

“Acts worth doing sometimes mean accepting the terrible consequences that may occur.” Alerie locks eyes with Helaena. “I do not make this decision lightly. And neither should you. You realize what this means, don’t you? If you go through with this, you cannot go back. Our friends will care for you, but not always- you will put your talent with a needle to good use and an apprenticeship will be found for you. It will not be easy, sweetling. I ask again, are you certain princess?”

She is right- if Helaena does go through with this, then she is entering a life when she will be a princess just in name. Her life will be filled with uncertainty, in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people.

_Viserra died because she wasn’t careful._

No, Helaena thinks furiously. Viserra died because she wasn’t given a choice. Helaena wants her choices, whatever they may be.

“I’m certain.”

Helaena will never be able to repay Alerie’s kindness, but Helaena promises herself as she sails away on a ship with gold and a guard (“I trust Byren with my life” Larissa tells Helaena, “So I trust him with yours”) towards Bravvos, that one day she would pass on the kindness that Alerie and her sister had shown her to someone else. Helaena feels ashamed for her feelings of superiority, for thinking she was better because she was born a Targaryen. Alerie’s actions is proof that she isn’t – proof that her father isn’t, in his unthinking cruelty. Neither is her mother, who makes promises that fall through.

Helaena loves her parents, still. She loves all her family; she does not want to leave them – but she wants her child more.


End file.
